ABOUT THIS COOK:

This is my twentieth year as a recipe tester for the Dining (formerly Living) section of the New York Times. I am the author of the New York Times cookbook Dinner for Eight: 40 Great Dinner Party Recipes for Friends and Family (foreword by Amanda Hesser). I've written many articles for the New York Times as well as other publications & have taught cooking classes & done food styling. I'm very active in my community and volunteer with a program for high school culinary arts students, as well as with the United Way Council on Education.

• What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?
  A weird concoction I was given to test for publication, of Cool Whip mixed with powdered lime jello and cottage cheese. After that, another recipe I tested consisting of tomatoes stuffed with pineapple and braised in some kind of sweet sauce.

• What do you cook when home alone?
  Since I cook all day everyday, when I'm alone I like fruit, cheese, bread (unless I'm dieting) and whatever leftovers look good at the moment.

• Your most treasured kitchen possession:
  My handwritten book of recipes I began collecting 25 years ago.

• The ideal number of guests for a dinner party is:
  Haha. Eight!!!